PARTICIPANTS OF COME HOME PROGRAM IN ARMENIAN ANCIENT CAPITAL ARTASHAT
Noyan Tapan
July 28, 2009
YEREVAN, JULY 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. July 27 began for the
participants of RA Ministry of Diaspora’s Come Study of Native Land
interactive classes which has already became a pleasant tradition. As
the children attend the lessons of Study of Native Land with great
pleasure the next event of the program was symbolized with special
importance for them.
The children were to visit Khor Virap church complex.
Following the guide the children got acquainted with the history of
the church-castle, went down by the vertical stairs to the basement
which is to the right of the Chapel’s Holy Altar and where is the 4.4
meters in diameter and of 6 meters deep dome-shaped concave covered
cellar where Saint Gregory the Iluminator was imprisoned. The Diasopran
Armenian young people were impressed and took photos all the time and
it seemed that the walls of the church told them about the events of
the 1700-year the history of the strong and graceful Khor Virap.
The lads and girls discussed what they had seen and felt in already
moving buses. Without giving turn to each other they showed each other
the photos they had taken as if they were competing whose photo was
the most successful one. The lively atmosphere continued till reaching
Ararat’s regional center Artashat.
Here Ararat’s deputy regional governor Samvel Mirzoyan met the
participants of the Come Home program and accompanied them to the
Charles Aznavour Cultural Palace to take part in the program Let’s Sing
and Dance Armenian held by the pupils of the cultural institution. The
Diasporan Armenian young people enjoying the Armenian folk song and
dance were taken unawares when they were invited to the stage. However
it was not the first debut in Armenia and the Armenians from different
sides of the world danced a proud round dance in Armenian ancient
capital Artashat.
Then the event moved to the park near the regional council where
Ararat’s regional governor Vardges Hovakimian and the members of
Serund (Generation) youth NGO, which cooperates with the RA Ministry
of Diaspora within the framework of the Come Home program, joined them.
According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the RA
Ministry of Diaspora, at the end of the day the participants of the
program took part in one more cultural event. They went to Yerevan
to Gabriel Sundukian National Academic Theatre where they watched
G. Sundukian’s "Khatabala" play by performance of the actors of
Tbilisi Petros Adamian State Armenian Theatre.
It seemed that the eventful day would tire the children but they were
in a good mood and had inexhaustible energy. Perhaps that energy passes
to them by their homeland’s high mountains or cold and pure water.